ARNOLD
R. VANDENBELT VA3IEE/KN4IEE QCWA #
34908 (SK)
Arnold grew up in Holland.
Education / Employment History
Arnold served in the Royal Dutch Marines before
emigrating to Canada.
He founded Vandenbelt Metal Works in Ottawa and
later Hillkron Steel in Toronto.
Amateur Radio History
On retirement, he spent over thirty years cruising
the Intra-Coastal Waterway and around the Bahamas Islands aboard one of several
sail and power boats.
1984 - He was first licensed as KB4IEE. From that
time on he was an enthusiastic member of the Waterways Radio and Cruising Club
(7268 KHz). He had a complete amateur radio station in one of the cabins of his
47 ft sun-deck Trade Winds trawler “Arnada”.
Many fellow members of WRCC lived along the
IntraCoastal Waterway and visits with them helped to break up the long trip
south from the St Lawrence River summer location for “Arnada” at Clayton, NY.
Arnold also looked forward to the weekly informal meetings and lunches of the
WRCC group at Indian Harbour Beach, Florida.
He was a Past Commodore of Britannia Yacht Club
where he was an ardent sailor. Arnold also served as Harbour Master at BYC.
Anxious to join as soon as he was eligible, Arnold
was finally able to join QCWA and Chapter 70 in 2009. His “25 Year Licensed” lapel
pin was presented at the Chapter 70 November 2009 dinner meeting.
He passed away on July 10, 2010 in his 84th
year.